


meant to be

by place_called_space



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Children of Characters, Eventual Katara/Zuko (Avatar), F/M, Fire Lord Zuko, Katara and Zuko (Avatar) are Parents, Newborn Children, Oblivious Zuko (Avatar), Protective Zuko (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zutara Week 2020
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:53:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25554625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/place_called_space/pseuds/place_called_space
Summary: prompts for Zutara Week 20201. reunion2. counterpart3. fuse4. celestial5. hesitancy6. affirm7. rebirth
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Iroh (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Kudos: 18
Collections: Zutara Week 2020





	meant to be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's been a long, long time

Zuko couldn’t believe he was the only competent one in the Palace. 

His boots echoed loud and heavy on the polished floor. He could hear the servants scurrying after him, the _tap tap tap_ of their timid footsteps nothing but background noise. 

He had given them one job, a simple job, and they had failed. 

"Please, Fire Lord, we hadn't meant to-"

"Mercy, Lord, please have mercy-"

"Do not--" Zuko turned slowly and glared at the servants assembled before him. "--make excuses. Your job was to alert me when my wife was to arrive at the docks so I could go meet her. Instead, I get notified that she is waiting for me at the front gates of the Palace!"

"Our deepest apologies-"

"A small mistake, milord. It won't happen again-"

Zuko turned on his heel and kept walking, dismissing the servants with a wave of his hand. Their stuttered apologies died down as he turned toward the other royal bedrooms in the Palace. Only one of them seemed occupied, as he could hear the giggling of children inside its walls. 

"Kya, Iroh," he said, knocking on the door. "Are you in there?"

Shuffling and some more giggles. 

One voice called out, "Yes, daddy! We're here!"

He chuckled. "Come on out, then, little turtleducks. Your mother just arrived."

He heard two identical gasps and frantic shuffling and the door opened, revealing the Princess and Prince of the Fire Nation. 

"Daddy!" 8-year-old Kya screamed, attaching herself to Zuko's left leg and blinking her blue eyes. "Mommy's back?"

"Yes, princess, Mommy's back." He leaned down to ruffle his daughter's hair. She squeaked and backed away from him, desperately trying to flatten her dark curls. 

Kya turned up her nose and stomped her foot, something that Zuko was sure she got from her mother. "I'm not a princess! I'm a warrior!"

Zuko made a show of cocking his head to the side and grabbing his chin in thought, something he'd picked up from his uncle. "But you _are_ a princess, Princess."

As Kya struggled to find an argument to her bloodline, 5-year-old Iroh tugged at Zuko's sleeve, his golden eyes wide. The Fire Lord obliged, leaning down to pick up his son and settle him on his hip. 

"Are you excited to see Mommy, Iroh?" Zuko asked, bumping his nose against the tiny prince's face. 

"Yes!" Iroh shrieked, grabbing the front of Zuko's robes and wriggling in his arms. 

"Well, let's go then." Zuko extended his arm and Kya grabbed his hand, her predicament about being royalty already forgotten. 

They walked to the palace gates, passing saluting guards and bowing servants. Kya made it a point to salute to every guard they passed, looking to see Zuko's reaction every time. Seeing his sister's antics, Iroh decided to get in on the fun, bowing to the servants as they bowed to him. 

Zuko was smiling the entire way to the gates. 

\--

The gardens in the courtyard of the royal palace was Zuko's favorite place to be. It was here that he proposed to Katara, presenting her with a Water Tribe betrothal necklace and a ring made of the finest gold, as was Fire Nation custom. 

There were tears in both their eyes by the time he'd stumbled through his speech and she'd said yes.

It's no surprise that Katara is standing by a pond, underneath a cherry blossom tree, feeding the baby turtleducks that have made their way to her. She's there often enough that the little creatures seem to recognize her every time she passes by. 

Fortunately, two other little turtleducks recognize her as their mother and practically sprint away from Zuko, with little Iroh wriggling in his father's arms until he's set on the floor. 

"Mommy!" Twin voices yell out, ecstatic at seeing their mother after nearly a month away. 

Fire Lady Katara spins on her heels, sending her deep purple dress spinning around her, and instantly sinks to her knees, accepting the loving embraces she receives while sheltering the little bundle in her arms. The two elder children coo and giggle as they poke at their younger sister, the only waterbender to be born into the family thus far. 

Zuko follows at a far more sedate pace. 

"How are my little cubs? Were you good for Daddy?" Katara asks their children. Her voice is like a melody and Zuko is reminded of just how much he missed his wife. 

Their children immediately trip over themselves to assure their mother that yes of course they were good, they were _angels_ , and how dare she assume that they were anything otherwise. Katara meets Zuko's gaze over their children's shoulders, eyes bright and filled with love, admiration, and affection. 

Zuko's throat feels tight. 

Eventually, he decides to kneel down next to his family, bringing his children and his wife to lean against him. Katara, at the kids' request, eagerly tells the story of her adventure to the South Pole, visiting their Uncle Sokka and their Grandpa 'Koda as they took part in the ritual to welcome the new baby into the world.

Little Ursa was sure to be spoiled rotten by her family in the Water Tribes, not unlike her older siblings. 

All three of their children had been blessed by both the Fire Sages in Capital City and by the Moon and Ocean Spirits in the North Pole, though Ursa's blessing was the only one the older two could remember. 

The royal family stayed there for the rest of the day, content with relaxing and enjoying each other's company. 

\--

When they're finally alone, Zuko and Katara dance together. 

The children have long since been put to bed, the tiring day catching up to them. In a few hours, Ursa will undoubtedly be hungry, but until then Katara and Zuko intend to milk the time they have for all it's worth. 

They hold each other close as they stood on their balcony, the sunset making the sky bleed a beautiful shade of red and orange, with deep blues and purples coming in to soothe the angry colors. 

Just as Katara had done for him. 

_~never thought that you would be standing here so close to me~_

Katara's voice rippled over him like water and he sunk into its' cool embrace. 

_~there's so much i feel that i should say-_

The letters she'd sent home hadn't been enough. He'd still missed her laugh, the way she spoke, her hugs...

_-but words can wait until some other day~_

Zuko had to bend down so that she could hug him without standing on the tips of her toes but he didn't mind. The ache in his back didn't deter him. 

_~kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then kiss me once again~_

Who was he to deny his wife?

_~it's been a long, long time~_

The month she'd been away had felt like agony. 

_~haven't felt like this, my dear, since can't remember when~_

Had it felt the same for her? Or was he just too attached to the woman who'd captured his heart? 

_~it's been a long, long time~_

_~you'll never know how many dreams i've dreamed about you, or just how empty they all seemed without you~_

'You're growing weak,' a voice whispered in Zuko's head, sounding like his father, who was in chains below Boiling Rock, never again to see the light of day.

_~so kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then kiss me once again~_

_~It's been a long, long time~_

Zuko ignored his father's voice, instead choosing to focus on his wife.

On the yin to his yang.

On the water to his fire. 

On his darling Katara. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and kudos are appreciated :)

**Author's Note:**

> kudos and comments are appreciated :)


End file.
